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排 (pái) — (verb) to arrange; to line up; to put in order; (noun) a row; a line; (classifier) for rows or lines of things

Definition

排 (pái) covers three roles: verb 'to line up / arrange', noun 'a row / line', and classifier for rows. As a verb it overlaps with 列 'to list/arrange', but 排 focuses on physical people or things in order, while 列 is used for items in a list.

verb
to arrangeto line upto put in order
noun
a rowa line
classifier
for rows or lines of things
Measure word · 排
Easily confused

Examples

  • 排。
    Qǐng tóng xué men pái hǎo duì.
    Classmates, please line up properly.
  • 排。
    Tā zuò zài dì yī pái.
    He sits in the first row.
  • 排。
    Zhè lǐ yǒu sān pái yǐ zi.
    There are three rows of chairs here.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
非
非fēi排pái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

排 uses 扌 (hand) to show arranging something with the hand, and 非 for the sound; this gives the sense of placing things in a line.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Order & Arrangement2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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